On my voyage through all the Sparks albums, some of which I haven’t heard in 20 or 30 years, here is my review of ‘Indiscreet’.
This album sounds fantastic. All of the engineering quibbles I had with the prior albums are gone on this one. Everything is mixed well, sounds in the same space. It’s actually a very modern sounding album.
1. Hospitality on Parade
Kind of an old-timey dance hall feel. There’s a lot of that on this album; this one gets grouped in with the ‘glam’ albums, but it really isn’t very glam sounding at all. I love the vocal delivery of this song, the march beat on the drums, the chunka-chunka guitar at the end. This is another one I find myself pounding out and singing when there’s a piano nearby. 10/10.
2. Happy Hunting Ground
Pretty dodgy song concept. I am just barely alright with it, but I could see someone not being. I often think of this song as being on ‘Kimono’ but then here it is. I feel like I should dock it a point for possible predatory lyrics ‘Some are learning to read, others are learning to write’, but I chose to think of the song being about a person looking back at easy, uncomplicated relationships in the past. 10/10.
3. Without Using Hands
Another dance hall song with a very strange concept. It draws me in, mostly I think it’s Russel’s vocal delivery. So weird, it’s impossible to imagine this played on the radio, or even in a concert. Works on here for me though. 9/10.
4. Get in the Swing
What a weird album this is, especially coming after ‘Kimono’ and ‘Propaganda’. I’m very susceptible to this kind of stuff, but I bet lots of people hate this album. 9/10.
5. Under the Table with Her
Is this an actual classical piece? It sounds like it could be part of ‘Four Seasons’ or something else by Vivaldi. If I’m understanding this song correctly, it’s sung from the point of a view of a dog? I’m not sure who exactly this song would be for…again, can’t imagine it on the radio ever. I really like it though. ‘Two of them should come and take the place of Laura Lee and Me’. I’m not sure what the Renaissance Faire sounding wind instrument is, but it works great. 9/10.
6. How are You getting Home?
Kind of an underwritten song. It’s fine. I think it’s exactly about what it says it’s about; someone trying to get someone else to let them give a ride home. 7/10.
7. Pineapple
Go, Russel. Tinkly barhouse piano, with an oom-pa horn section. Who doesn’t love a pineapple? The taste is delectable after all. I think the spoken background vocals make this song. So weird. 7/10.
8. Tits
The beginning of this song always makes me think of a cartoon…I can’t remember exactly which one, but some Looney Tunes cartoon with a red monster wearing tennis shoes sneaking up behind. I don’t know how GOOD of an idea it was to write a song called ‘Tits’ and I sometimes wonder if doing so torpedoed the popularity they were growing at the time. Be that as it may, I love this song. There’s real feeling and pathos here for me. WAS Harry running around with his wife? Or is it alcohol and paranoia? I don’t know. 10/10.
9. It Ain’t 1918
This is another one I can’t not sing along to. I like the clapping and the fiddle. I wish I knew the people the song is about; they seem great. 9/10.
10. The Lady is Lingering
It’s fine. This song kind of goes right in and out of my ear. 6/10.
11. In the Future
Kind of the same as the song before, only not quite as fine. If I could pick a song to be left off, it would be this one. It’s still above average, but barely. 6/10.
13. Looks, Looks, Looks
What a foxtrot. Great arrangement. This again wouldn’t be to most people’s taste, but it’s really pretty stunning. There’s not a lot of (loosely speaking) rock musicians that could have done this. 9/10.
13. Miss the Start, Miss the End
Dreamy…wistful. I like the way the singer seems to be criticizing the couple, but you learn at the end that he’s jealous of them. I like the overlapped vocals. I like the chorus, and the way the piano starts keeping the beat with the power chords behind it, then the minor bridge. I really like this song. 10/10.
I sometimes think this is my favorite Sparks album. It’s weird, inscrutable, and sounds great. It does fall off at the end a bit though, same as Propaganda, which brings the rating down a bit. But some of my favorite Sparks songs are on here, and man, these guys were a creative force to be reckoned with. Album rates 8.5/10. Next up, ‘Big Beat’.